| There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. | For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. |
| He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. | He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. |
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| I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. | I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; moreover, it is God's gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil. |
| And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. | Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from one person's envy of another. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind. |
| Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. | Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. |
| If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. | For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. |
| Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. | And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken. |
| When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. | When you make a vow to God, do not delay fulfilling it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you vow. |
| Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. | The lover of money will not be satisfied with money; nor the lover of wealth, with gain. This also is vanity. |
| As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them? | When goods increase, those who eat them increase; and what gain has their owner but to see them with his eyes? |
| Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands. | As they came from their mother's womb, so they shall go again, naked as they came; they shall take nothing for their toil, which they may carry away with their hands. |
| This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. | This is what I have seen to be good: it is fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of the life God gives us; for this is our lot. |
| Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. | Likewise all to whom God gives wealth and possessions and whom he enables to enjoy them, and to accept their lot and find enjoyment in their toil—this is the gift of God. |
| Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions. | Do not say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this. |
| When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future. | In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; God has made the one as well as the other, so that mortals may not find out anything that will come after them. |
| When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. | Because sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the human heart is fully set to do evil. |
| Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. | Go, eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has long ago approved what you do. |
| Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips. | Words spoken by the wise bring them favor, but the lips of fools consume them. |
| As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. | Just as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother's womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything. |
| So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless. | Banish anxiety from your mind, and put away pain from your body; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity. |
| Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them”. | Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come, and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”. |
| Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. | The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone. |
| For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. | For in much wisdom is much vexation, and those who increase knowledge increase sorrow. |
